Changes abound at Champ Car Grand Prix

Much has changed for the 24th Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland. There are new cars for the Champ Car World Series, many new drivers, a new type of start, new dates and a title sponsor for the race.

So much is different that it seems only the venue — Portland International Raceway's 1.946-mile road course — remains the same.

For this year, the race weekend was moved up a week to coincide with the Rose Festival. Qualifying is today and Saturday from 2 to 3 p.m. and the hour and 45 minute-long timed Champ Car race at 1 p.m. Sunday.

All drivers are in brand new cars, the Panoz DP01. The Panoz replaces the Lola B2K/00, which had been raced since 2000.

"I think it's good," driver Alex Tagliani said. "The new Panoz chassis that is creating so much passing on the race track. We've seen more passing than with the old cars.

"I feel that Champ Car achieved what they wanted to achieve with the new car."

For a driver like rookie Graham Rahal, who won the Portland Star Mazda race two years ago and sat on pole position for the Atlantic Series race last year, the new car is a detriment.

"Usually a more experienced driver would help develop a car more because he's been around and he's seen the cars in the past," said Rahal, who now drives for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing.

"If it was last year and we had the Newman/Haas Lolas of the past, it would be a heck of a lot easier to win a race than it is now. I think it's made it harder for me actually." More at StatesmanJournal.com